Device and method for detecting and displaying the rear and/or side view of a motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

A device for detecting and displaying the rear and/or side traffic of a motor vehicle is to be improved upon such that the driver can safely and quickly detect the present traffic situation by way of the overall image shown, in particular when the direction of travel is changed. This is accomplished in that the device for detecting and displaying the rear and/or side view of a motor vehicle ( 1 ) comprises a first apparatus ( 3 ) for producing images of the optically detected rear view (A), one or more further apparatuses ( 2 ) for producing images of the optical side view (B,C) of the motor vehicle ( 1 ), a display apparatus ( 6 ) adapted to display images or image sections of the first and/or the further apparatuses ( 2, 3 ) in partial areas (T 1 , T 2 ), and a control apparatus ( 5 ) adapted to select the images or image sections and to assign them to the partial areas (T 1 , T 2 ). The images or image sections are selected according to the signals of a driving direction indicator ( 7 ) and/or the signals of a sensor ( 8 ) that represents the steering direction and are assigned to the partial areas (T 1 , T 2 ). Also provided is a method for detecting and displaying an overall image from an image section or overlapping image sections.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for sensing anddisplaying the traffic to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle.

Customary rear view devices which are used in a motor vehicle aremirrors which frequently have regions with differing degrees ofconvexity. As a result, the driver can better see a blind spot or blindspots. However, the rear view devices are only small in size and thepartial region which is additionally formed in the mirror in order toview the blind spot better reduces the available mirror region. As aresult, the driver then only has a small partial region for sensing thesurroundings to the rear.

Furthermore, camera-supported rear view systems are known which provideboth cameras in the lateral exterior mirrors and a central camera to therear. The image excerpts which are generated by means of the cameras andwhich represent the surroundings to the side of the motor vehicle andthe surroundings to the rear of the motor vehicle are displayed in thepassenger compartment of the vehicle, in partial sections of a displayarranged one next to the other. With this known solution there is alsothe problem that a display cannot be made sufficiently large to displayall the displayed image excerpts to a sufficient size. The large numberof represented image excerpts can additionally serve as a distractionfrom the image information which is essential for the driver.

The object of the present invention is to make available a device forsensing and displaying the traffic to the rear and/or side of a motorvehicle, and a method for sensing and displaying a composite imagecomposed of an image excerpt or overlapping image excerpts, whichpermits the driver to perceive the given traffic situation reliably andquickly on the basis of the represented composite image, in particularwhen there is a change in the direction of travel.

This object is achieved here by means of the device specified in patentclaim 1 and by means of the method specified in patent claim 4 forsensing and displaying the traffic to the rear and/or side of a motorvehicle. In this context, images of different image sensing devices areacquired and a composite image composed of an image excerpt oroverlapping image excerpts is subsequently represented on a displayapparatus, in particular image excerpts of the region to the rear andside of the motor vehicle. The selection of image excerpts is carriedout here in a control apparatus as a function of signals of a traveldirection indicator and/or signals of the steering angle which isacquired.

Further advantageous refinements and developments of the according tothe invention can be found in the subclaims.

A preferred embodiment of the system for sensing and displaying thetraffic to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle, and the methodaccording to the invention for sensing and displaying a composite imagecomposed of an image excerpt or overlapping image excerpts, will bedescribed by way of example below, wherein reference is made to theappended drawings for illustrative purposes. In said drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a motor vehicle illustrating the arrangementof the apparatuses for generating images of the optically sensedsurroundings to the rear and side,

FIG. 2 shows a display apparatus with the representation of the imagegenerated by the central rear view sensing device,

FIG. 3 shows a display apparatus with the representation of a seamlesscomposite image which is made up from an image excerpt of the centralrear view sensing device and of the right-hand side image sensingdevice; and

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram representing the method according to theinvention.

FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1, having a device for sensing anddisplaying the surroundings to the rear and to the side of the motorvehicle 1. The device which is illustrated and described below providesa driver of the motor vehicle 1 with, with respect to its direction oftravel, a view of the surroundings A to the rear of the motor vehicle 1,and when the direction of travel changes a view of the surroundings ofthe corresponding regions to the side B, C of the motor vehicle 1. Thisincreases safety since when a change of the direction of travel isindicated the driver is provided with a display of the blind spot in thecorresponding side region B, C in a correspondingly assigned partialregion on the display apparatus.

The device here comprises two apparatuses for generating images of theoptically sensed surroundings in the side regions of the motor vehiclewhich lie opposite one another, referred to below as side image sensingdevices 2. The side image sensing devices 2 are preferably cameras whichare arranged integrated into the right-hand and left-hand exteriormirrors 4. The cameras can also be arranged at the side regions insteadof the exterior mirrors. Furthermore, an apparatus is provided forgenerating images of the optically sensed surroundings of thesurroundings to the rear, referred to below as central rear view sensingdevice 3. This rear view sensing device 3 is preferably a camera whichcan be arranged in the region of the bumper to the rear or else in theinternal roof lining in the passenger compartment. All theabove-mentioned cameras are directed to the rear in the direction oftravel which is indicated by the arrow F or are arranged toward the rearrotated through an angle with respect to the direction of travel. Thedevice according to the invention also comprises a control apparatus 5in which the images generated by the abovementioned image sensingdevices 2, 3 are transmitted. A display apparatus 6, which isillustrated schematically in the plan view as a rectangular display inthe front upper region of the windshield, serves for displaying, over asurface, a composite image composed of an image excerpt or a pluralityof assembled image excerpts. For this purpose, the display apparatus 6can be divided into partial regions which may be variable in terms oftheir horizontal extent. In the case of the described exemplaryembodiment, the display is divided into partial regions which arearranged laterally one next to the other. In the left-hand partialregion, it is possible here to represent images or image excerpts of theside camera arranged on the left-hand side. In the region of the displaywhich remains to the right thereof, an image excerpt of the centralcamera is then added in a seamless fashion to the boundary region of theleft-hand partial region. In the right-hand partial region T1 it ispossible to represent image excerpts of the camera arranged on theright-hand side, then an image excerpt of the central camera will beadded here in a seamless fashion to the boundary region G of theright-hand partial region in the remaining partial region T2 of thedisplay on the left-hand side. The partial regions are represented hereas a function of image excerpts which are selected in the controlapparatus 5. In this context, both the selection of the images or imageexcerpts and the assignment to the corresponding partial regions of thedisplay apparatus 6 are performed in the control apparatus 5.

The selection of the images or image excerpts is carried out here as afunction of a signal of a travel direction indicator 7 and/or as afunction of a signal of a steering angle sensor 8. The representation ofthe image excerpts on the display apparatus produces a seamlesscomposite image for the driver here. This is shown by the illustrationsin FIGS. 2 and 3. In order to obtain a seamless image which is composedof overlapping image excerpts, what are referred to as matching methodsare used. Known matching methods are frequently based on the least meansquare method. However, it is also possible to use all known methods.

FIG. 2 shows the illustration of the display apparatus for the driverduring travel in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle. Thesteering angle is 0 degrees here, and the travel direction indicator isin its neutral central position. In this travel situation, the imagegenerated by the central rear view sensing device 3 is presented to thedriver on the display of the display apparatus 6. In this context, theentire available display region is utilized as partial region T2 forrepresentation.

FIG. 3 shows the illustration of the display apparatus for the driverwhen the travel direction indicator is activated to the right. Thesteering angle is also zero, and the sensor 7 which is assigned to thetravel direction indicator supplies the control apparatus 5 with thecorresponding signal (change of direction of travel to the right). Inthe control apparatus 5, the generated image excerpts of the right-handside region C are then combined with the image excerpts of thesurroundings A to the rear and represented as a seamless image on thedisplay apparatus. As can be seen from the illustration in FIG. 3, theimage excerpt of the right-hand surroundings C to the side isrepresented in the right-hand partial region T1 of the display, and animage excerpt of the image of the central rear view sensing device 3 ispresented on the left-hand side of the display, in the remaining partialregion T2 of the display. The represented composite image is thereforeshifted to the left for the viewer compared to the representation inFIG. 2. As a result, the driver is presented with a representation ofthe right-hand side region C and can view the blind spot on the display.The left-hand region of the image of the central camera, which isuninteresting for the driver in respect of this travel situation“migrates” out of the display (region with hatching in FIG. 2).

In a subsequent turning-off process or lane change, the signals whichare acquired by the steering angle sensor 8 are additionally used in thecontrol apparatus 5 to select the image excerpts and for the assignmentof the partial regions T1 and T2. Depending on the steering angle, thepartial regions T1/T2 are made larger or smaller here. This provides adynamic composite image which is composed of image sections withdynamically adaptive variables. In the illustrated example, thecomposite image would be shifted dynamically to the left for the vieweras the steering angle becomes larger (boundary region G is shifted tothe left). This means that the left-hand partial region T2 becomesdynamically smaller in its horizontal extent as the steering anglebecomes larger, and the right-hand partial region T1 is made larger bythis amount.

Previously described explanations about the assembled image excerptsduring the rightward change of direction of travel and during thesubsequent steering process to the right apply correspondingly to thedisplaying of the change of the direction of travel to the left andduring the subsequent steering process to the left. The left-handlateral surroundings of the motor vehicle are presented as an imageexcerpt in a left-hand partial region on the display, and during thesteering process the left-hand partial region is displaced and thecomposite image is therefore displaced to the right for the viewer.

1. A device for sensing and displaying the surroundings to the rearand/or side of a motor vehicle (1), having a first apparatus (3) forgenerating images of the optically sensed surroundings (A) to the rear,having one or more further apparatuses (2) for generating images of theoptical surroundings to the side (B, C) of the motor vehicle (1), havinga display apparatus (6) which is configured to represent images or imageexcerpts of the first apparatus and/or of the further apparatuses (2, 3)in partial regions (T1, T2), and a control apparatus (5) which isconfigured to select the images or image excerpts and assign them to thepartial regions (T1, T2), characterized in that the images or imageexcerpts are selected as a function of the signals of a travel directionindicator (7) and/or of the signals of a sensor (8) which represent thesteering angle, and said images or image excerpts are assigned to thepartial regions (T1, T2) which may be variable in terms of theirhorizontal extent depending on the steering angle in order to provide adynamic composite image which is composed of image sections withdynamically adaptive variables.
 2. The device for sensing and displayingthe surroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the partial regions (T1, T2) are arrangedone next to the other on the display apparatus (6).
 3. The device forsensing and displaying the surroundings to the rear and/or side of amotor vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the partial regions(T1, T2) change in their horizontal extent as a function of the size ofthe steering angle.
 4. A method for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1), wherein, ina first step, images of the surroundings to the rear and side (A, B, C)of the motor vehicle (1) are acquired, and in a further step one or moreof the acquired images or image excerpts are selected and displayed on adisplay apparatus (6) in partial regions (T1, T2), characterized in thatsignals of a travel direction indicator (7) and/or signals whichrepresent the steering angle are acquired and the image excerpts areselected as a function of the acquired signals and said image excerptsare assigned to the partial regions (T1, T2) and characterized in thatthe partial regions (T1, T2) may be variable in terms of theirhorizontal extent depending on the steering angle in order to provide adynamic composite image which is composed of image sections withdynamically adaptive variables.
 5. (canceled)
 6. The method for sensingand displaying the surroundings to the rear and/or side of a motorvehicle (1) as claimed in claim 4 wherein, in a travel situation inwhich the signals of the travel direction indicator (7) indicate aneutral position and the steering angle is 0 degrees, the image of thesurroundings (A) to the rear, which is generated by the central rearview sensing device (3), is represented in a partial region (T2) on thedisplay apparatus (6), and the partial region (T2) covers the entiredisplay apparatus (6).
 7. The method for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 4, wherein, in a travel situation in which the signals of thetravel direction indicator (7) indicate a change in the direction oftravel and the steering angle is 0 degrees, the image or an imageexcerpt of the surroundings to the side, which can be assigned to theintended direction of travel, is assigned to a first partial region(T1), and the image of the surroundings (A) to the rear is assigned to asecond partial region (T2).
 8. The method for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 7, wherein, in a travel situation in which signals of thesteering angle which are unequal to 0 degrees are sensed, the size ofthe partial regions (T1, T2) is changed as a function of the signals ofthe steering angle.
 9. The method for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 4, wherein the selected images or image excerpts of adjacentpartial regions (T1, T2) are joined together in such a way that in therepresentation as a composite image a seamless transition is produced intheir boundary region (G).
 10. The method for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 6, wherein the selected images or image excerpts of adjacentpartial regions (T1, T2) are joined together in such a way that in therepresentation as a composite image a seamless transition is produced intheir boundary region (G).
 11. The method for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 7, wherein the selected images or image excerpts of adjacentpartial regions (T1, T2) are joined together in such a way that in therepresentation as a composite image a seamless transition is produced intheir boundary region (G).
 12. The method for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 8, wherein the selected images or image excerpts of adjacentpartial regions (T1, T2) are joined together in such a way that in therepresentation as a composite image a seamless transition is produced intheir boundary region (G).
 13. A device for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1), having afirst apparatus (3) for generating images of the optically sensedsurroundings (A) to the rear, having one or more further apparatuses (2)for generating images of the optical surroundings to the side (B, C) ofthe motor vehicle (1), having a display apparatus (6) which isconfigured to represent images or image excerpts of the first apparatusand/or of the further apparatuses (2, 3) in partial regions (T1, T2),and a control apparatus (5) which is configured to select the images orimage excerpts and assign them to the partial regions (T1, T2),characterized in that the images or image excerpts are selected as afunction of the signals of a travel direction indicator (7) and/or ofthe signals of a sensor (8) which represent the steering angle, and saidimages or image excerpts are assigned to the partial regions (T1, T2)which may be variable in terms of their horizontal extent depending onthe steering angle in order to provide a dynamic composite image whichis composed of image sections with dynamically adaptive variables andwherein said one or more further apparatuses (2) comprises a first sideimage sensing camera integrated into the right-hand exterior mirror ofthe motor vehicle (1).
 14. The device for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 9, wherein said first apparatus (3) comprises a camera arrangedin the region of the bumper to the rear of the motor vehicle (1). 15.The device for sensing and displaying the surroundings to the rearand/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 10, wherein whenthe motor vehicle (1) is traveling in the longitudinal direction withthe steering angle at around 0 degrees and with the travel directionindicator (7) in its neutral central position, an image excerptgenerated by said first apparatus (3) is displayed to the driver on thedisplay of display apparatus (6) and wherein when the travel directionindicator (7) is activated to the right by the driver of the motorvehicle, an image excerpt generated by said first side image sensingcamera integrated into the right-hand exterior mirror of the motorvehicle is displayed to the driver on the display of display apparatus(6) to the right of said image excerpt generated by said first apparatus(3).
 16. The device for sensing and displaying the surroundings to therear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 11, whereinthe horizontal extent of said image excerpt generated by said first sideimage sensing camera integrated into the right-hand exterior mirror ofthe motor vehicle increases as the steering angle to the right of themotor vehicle increases.
 17. The device for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 12, wherein the horizontal extent of said image excerptgenerated by said first apparatus (3) decreases as the steering angle tothe right of the motor vehicle (1) increases.
 18. The device for sensingand displaying the surroundings to the rear and/or side of a motorvehicle (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein said image excerpts aredisplayed in a seamless fashion.
 19. The device for sensing anddisplaying the surroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle(1) as claimed in claim 14, wherein said display apparatus (6) islocated in the front upper region of the windshield of the motor vehicle(1).
 20. The device for sensing and displaying the surroundings to therear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 15, whereinsaid display apparatus (6) comprises a part of an interior rearviewmirror assembly.
 21. The device for sensing and displaying thesurroundings to the rear and/or side of a motor vehicle (1) as claimedin claim 15, wherein a second side image sensing camera is integratedinto the left-hand exterior mirror of the motor vehicle (1).
 22. Thedevice for sensing and displaying the surroundings to the rear and/orside of a motor vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 9, wherein said imagesor image excerpts are displayed in a seamless fashion.
 23. The devicefor sensing and displaying the surroundings to the rear and/or side of amotor vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 18, wherein said first apparatus(3) comprises a camera arranged in the region of the bumper to the rearof the motor vehicle (1) and wherein when the motor vehicle (1) istraveling in the longitudinal direction with the steering angle ataround 0 degrees and with the travel direction indicator (7) in itsneutral central position, an image excerpt generated by said firstapparatus (3) is displayed to the driver on the display of displayapparatus (6) and wherein when the travel direction indicator (7) isactivated to the right by the driver of the motor vehicle, an imageexcerpt generated by said first side image sensing camera integratedinto the right-hand exterior mirror of the motor vehicle is displayed tothe driver on the display of display apparatus (6) to the right of saidimage excerpt generated by said first apparatus (3) and wherein thehorizontal extent of said image excerpt generated by said first sideimage sensing camera integrated into the right-hand exterior mirror ofthe motor vehicle increases as the steering angle to the right of themotor vehicle increases and wherein the horizontal extent of said imageexcerpt generated by said first apparatus (3) decreases as the steeringangle to the right of the motor vehicle (1) increases.
 24. The devicefor sensing and displaying the surroundings to the rear and/or side of amotor vehicle (1) as claimed in claim 19, wherein said display apparatus(6) is located in the front upper region of the windshield of the motorvehicle (1) and wherein said display apparatus (6) comprises a part ofan interior rearview mirror assembly.